Int'l film festival in Kashmir on June 27

Srinagar, Jun 26: Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi will inaugurate the first-ever international film festival in Kashmir here tomorrow.

The two-day festival was earlier scheduled to start from June 23.

The first part of the festival, being organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, culture and Languages in collaboration with the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry, had already been held in Jammu on June 13-14.

In all, 28 international documentaries, short and animation films would be screened at the festival.

Out of these, eight films would be from Jammu and Kashmir, 11 from other states and six from foreign countries.

The festival has been designed to provide unique opportunity to local viewers to enjoy national and international films.

State Academy of Art, culture and Languages Secretary Dr Rafeeq Masoodi said the festival would help local short filmmakers and viewers to access trends world over and expand the scope of creative expressions through their chosen disciplines of films making.

There was great scope of employment in animation films, he said, adding the state government was contemplating to open a school of animation and the technical know-how in this regard would be sought from Bulgaria.

Dr Masoodi said the Institute of Fine Arts has also set up its branches at Jammu and Srinagar while Rs 2 crore had been sanctioned for establishing another at Leh.

He emphasised that films make an important medium for showcasing culture and traditions of the society and were an important source of entertainment for the people.

UNI